Framing and matting kit

ABSTRACT

The framing and matting kit provides a drawing sheet, mat and frame for the production and framing of a piece of artwork or the like. The drawing sheet has opposed front and rear surfaces. The front surface includes a central portion and a border portion. Indicia are formed on the front surface of the drawing sheet to visually separate the central and border portions thereof. The mat has a central opening formed therethrough, which is dimensioned and configured to expose the central portion of the drawing sheet when the mat is positioned on the front surface of the drawing sheet to cover the border portion thereof. The frame includes a transparent front portion and a rear retaining portion. The drawing sheet and the mat are received between the transparent front portion and the rear retaining portion for display of the central portion of the drawing sheet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to picture framing, and particularly to a framing and matting kit that provides a drawing sheet, a mat and a frame for the production and framing of a piece of artwork or the like.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the field of picture framing, a “mat” is a thin, flat piece of paper-based material included within a picture frame, which serves as additional decoration and to perform several other, more practical functions, such as separating the art from the glass or plastic of the frame. Putting mats in a frame is typically referred to as “matting”, a term which can also be used interchangeably with mat.

The picture-framing mat is commonly known by utilized as additional decoration to enhance the look of a framed piece, often in conjunction with a fillet or, occasionally, liners made of wooden moulding with a cloth surface. Typically, the mat or mats, if matched carefully and properly proportioned, serve to help draw the viewer's eye toward the framed piece, or towards a particular key element of the piece.

In addition to decorative purposes, in archival or conservation picture framing, mats have several important functions. One of the most important functions is the separation of the glass from the art or document being framed. This is of primary importance because any condensation that develops on the inside of the glass can be transferred to the piece if they are not separated, resulting in water damage, mold or mildew. Photos should also be separated from the glass because the surface of photographs is particularly easy to damage, and may even separate from its original paper and stick to the glass if wet. Additionally, some types of art, such as pastels or chalk pictures, can smudge easily and should be separated from the glass for that reason.

Given the importance and necessity of matting a painting, drawing, photo or other piece of artwork, artists are, oftentimes, disappointed that border portions of their artwork must be covered by matting. Typical paper for drawing, painting, sketching and the like is provided to the artist as blank canvas, thus providing no visual or advance indication of which portions will eventually be covered by the mat. Thus, a framing and matting kit solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The framing and matting kit provides a drawing sheet, mat and frame for the production and framing of a piece of artwork or the like. The framing and matting kit includes a drawing sheet having opposed front and rear surfaces, with the front surface thereof including a central portion and a border portion. The drawing sheet may be formed from paper, cardboard, paperboard or the like. Indicia are formed on the front surface of the drawing sheet to visually separate the central and border portions thereof. The indicia may be in the form of a printed, rectangular border, for example.

A mat having a central opening formed therethrough is further provided. The mat may be a conventional, rectangular mat, formed from cardboard or the like. The central opening is dimensioned and configured to expose the central portion of the front surface of the drawing sheet when the mat is positioned on the front surface of the drawing sheet to cover the border portion thereof. The dimensions and configuration of the opening preferably match the dimensions and configuration of the indicia, defining the demarcation between the central and border portions of the drawing sheet.

A frame is further provided, with the frame having a transparent front portion and a rear retaining portion. The drawing sheet and the mat are received between a rear surface of the transparent front portion and the rear retaining portion for display of the central portion of the drawing sheet.

These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental perspective view of a picture framed by using a framing and matting kit according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a frame of the framing and matting kit according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the frame of the framing and matting kit according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the frame of the framing and matting kit according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded environmental perspective view showing the framing of a picture using the framing and matting kit according to the present invention.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 5, there is shown a framing and matting kit 10. The framing and matting kit 10 provides a drawing sheet 14, a mat 16 and a frame 12 for the production and framing of a piece of artwork or the like. As best shown in FIG. 5, the drawing sheet 14 has opposed front and rear surfaces. The front surface includes a central portion 36 and a border portion 38. The drawing sheet 14 may be formed from paper, cardboard, paperboard or the like. The central portion 36 is adapted for drawing thereon, or otherwise forming or placing imagery or artwork thereon.

Indicia or lines 40 are formed on the front surface of the drawing sheet 14 to visually separate or demarcate the central portion 36 from the border portion 38 so that the user is aware of the boundaries of the central portion 36. As will be described below, the border portion 38 is covered by mat 16. Thus, the user is made visually aware of the surface area of the drawing sheet 14 that will be displayed. Indicia 40 provide the artist with an advance indication of which portions of the drawing sheet will be covered by mat 16 during framing, thus allowing the artist to have his or her entire artwork displayed, without being accidentally or unintentionally covered during matting. The indicia 40 may be in the form of a printed rectangular border, for example, or any other desired shape or configuration corresponding to the mat 16. The drawing sheet 14 is provided to the user with indicia 40 already formed or imprinted thereon, as part of the overall kit 10.

A mat 16 having a central opening 44 formed therethrough is further provided. The mat 16 may be a conventional, rectangular mat frame member 42, formed from cardboard or the like. The front surface of mat 16 may be provided with a user-selectable hue or pattern, as is conventionally known. The central opening 44 is dimensioned and configured to expose the central portion 36 of the front surface of the drawing sheet 14 when the mat 16 is positioned on the front surface of the drawing sheet 14 to cover the border portion 38 thereof. The dimensions and configuration of the opening 44 preferably match the dimensions and configuration of the indicia 40, defining the demarcation between the central and border portions 36, 38 of the drawing sheet 14. In the drawings, the drawing sheet 14 and mat 16 are shown as having rectangular contours. It should be understood that the dimensions and configuration of mat 16 and drawing sheet 14 are shown for exemplary purposes only. Preferably, the outer perimeter of mat 16 is dimensioned and configured to match the outer perimeter of drawing sheet 14.

A frame 12 is further provided. The frame 12 has an at least partially transparent or translucent front portion 18 and a rear retaining portion. Preferably, the entirety of front portion 18 is transparent, and may be formed from transparent plastic, Plexiglas® or the like. Front portion 18 preferably has a rectangular contour, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, although it should be understood that the dimensions and configuration of frame 12 in the drawings are shown for exemplary purposes only.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the rear retaining portion includes opposed upper and lower members 20, 22, respectively. The upper member 20 is secured to the transparent front portion 18 along respective upper edges thereof to form an upper slot 32 therebetween (shown in the side view of FIG. 4). Similarly, the lower member 22 is secured to the transparent front portion 18 along respective lower portions thereof to form a lower slot 34 therebetween. As best shown in FIG. 4, upper and lower members 20, 22 and front portion 18 are preferably formed as a one-piece, integral member through injection molding or the like. Preferably, upper and lower members 20, 22 are formed from the same transparent material as front portion 18. It should be understood that the dimensions and configuration of upper and lower members 20, 22 are shown for exemplary purposes only.

Preferably, an upper edge of lower member 22 and a lower edge of upper member 20 are spaced apart, defining an open space therebetween. Additionally, a picture hanger or attachment member 24 is preferably mounted to the rear retaining portion, preferably to a rear face of upper member 20, as best shown in FIG. 3. A lower edge 30 of attachment member 24 may have a sawtooth edge for engaging an external support, such as a nail, bracket, frame holder or the like.

In use, the user draws or otherwise forms art, signage or the like within the central portion 36 of drawing sheet 14. The mat 16 is then positioned over the front surface of the drawing sheet 14 so that central portion 36 is displayed through opening 44 of mat 16, and the rectangular frame member 42 of mat 16 completely covers border portion 38. The mat 16 and drawing sheet 14 are then positioned between the front portion 18 and the rear retaining portion of frame 12, with the mat 16 and drawing sheet 14 being inserted therebetween through upper and lower slots 32, 34. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A framing and matting kit, comprising: a drawing sheet having opposed front and rear surfaces, the front surface including a central portion and a border portion; lines formed on the front surface to visually separate the central portion and the border portion; a mat having a central opening formed therethrough, the central opening being dimensioned and configured to expose the central portion of the front surface of the drawing sheet when the mat is positioned on the front surface to cover the border portion; and a frame having a transparent front portion and a rear retaining portion, the drawing sheet and the mat being removably disposed between a rear surface of the transparent front portion and the rear retaining portion for display of the central portion of the drawing sheet.
 2. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 1, wherein said drawing sheet and said mat are each substantially rectangular.
 3. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 2, wherein said mat has an outer length and an outer width equal in length to a corresponding outer length and outer width of said drawing sheet.
 4. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 3, wherein the central portion of said drawing sheet is substantially rectangular, defining an inner width and an inner length.
 5. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 4, wherein the central opening formed through said mat is substantially rectangular, having a width and a length equal to the corresponding inner width and inner length of the central portion of said drawing sheet.
 6. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 1, wherein said rear retaining portion has opposed upper and lower members, the upper member being joined to the transparent front portion along respective upper edges thereof to form an upper slot therebetween, the lower member being joined to the transparent front portion along respective lower portions thereof to form a lower slot therebetween.
 7. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 6, wherein a lower edge of the upper member is spaced apart from an upper edge of the lower member.
 8. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 6, further comprising an attachment member mounted to a rear surface of the upper member.
 9. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 8, wherein the attachment member has a sawtooth lower edge for engaging an external support.
 10. A framing and matting kit, comprising: a drawing sheet having opposed front and rear surfaces, the front surface having a central portion and a border portion; lines formed on the front surface to visually separate the central portion and the border portion; a mat having a central opening formed therethrough, the central opening being dimensioned and configured to expose the central portion of the front surface of the drawing sheet when the mat is positioned on the front surface to cover the border portion; a frame having a transparent front portion and a rear retaining portion, the drawing sheet and the mat being removably disposed between a rear surface of the transparent front portion and the rear retaining portion for display of the central portion of said drawing sheet; and means for securing the frame to an external support.
 11. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 10, wherein said drawing sheet and said mat are substantially rectangular.
 12. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 11, wherein said mat has an outer length and an outer width equal in length to an outer length and an outer width of said drawing sheet.
 13. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 12, wherein the central portion of said drawing sheet is substantially rectangular, defining an inner width and an inner length.
 14. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 13, wherein the central opening formed through said mat is substantially rectangular, having a width and a length equal to the inner width and inner length of the central portion of said drawing sheet.
 15. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 10, wherein said rear retaining portion has opposed upper and lower members, the upper member being joined to the transparent front portion along respective upper edges thereof to form an upper slot therebetween, the lower member being joined to the transparent front portion along respective lower portions thereof to form a lower slot therebetween.
 16. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 15, wherein the upper member has a lower edge spaced apart from the lower member.
 17. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 15, wherein said means for securing said frame to the external support comprises an attachment member mounted to a rear surface of the upper member.
 18. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 17, wherein the attachment member has a sawtooth lower edge for engaging an external support.
 19. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 15, wherein the upper and lower members are each transparent.
 20. The framing and matting kit as recited in claim 10, wherein said frame is formed from transparent plastic. 